It was as we had expected:  the dogs were on the verge of exploding.  What a time we had getting them all into the traces!  They could not stand still an instant; either it was a friend they wanted to wish good-morning, or it was an enemy they were longing to fly at.  There was always something going on; when they kicked out with their hind-legs, raising a cloud of snow, or glared defiantly at each other, it often caused their driver an anxious moment.  If he had his eye on them at this stage, he might, by intervening quickly and firmly, prevent the impending battle; but one cannot be everywhere at once, and the result was a series of the wildest fights.  Strange beasts!  They had been going about the place comparatively peacefully the whole winter, and now, as soon as they were in harness, they must needs fight as if their lives depended on it.  At last we were all ready and away.  It was the first time we had driven with teams of twelve, so that we were anxious to see the result.

It went better than we had expected; of course, not like an express train, but we could not expect that the first time.  Some of the dogs had grown too fat in the course of the winter, and had difficulty in keeping up; for them this first trip was a stiff pull.  But most of them were in excellent condition —­ fine, rounded bodies, not lumpish.  It did not take long to get up the hill this time; most of them had to stop and get their wind on the slope, but there were some that did it without a halt.  Up at the top everything looked just as we had left it in April.  The flag was still standing where we had planted it, and did not look much the worse for wear.  And, what was still stranger, we could see our old tracks southward.  We drove all our sledges well up, unharnessed the dogs, and let them go.  We took it for granted that they would all rush joyfully home to the flesh-pots, nor did the greater number disappoint us.  They set off gaily homewards, and soon the ice was strewn with dogs.  They did not behave altogether like good children.  In some places there was a sort of mist over the ice; this was the cloud of snow thrown up by the combatants.  But on their return they were irreproachable; one could not take any notice of a halt here and there.  At the inspection that evening, it appeared that ten of them were missing.  That was strange —­ could all ten have gone down crevasses?  It seemed unlikely.

Next morning two men went over to the starting-point to look for the missing dogs.  On the way they crossed a couple of crevasses, but there was no dog to be seen.  When they arrived at the place where the sledges stood, there lay all ten curled up asleep.  They were lying by their own sledges, and did not seem to take the slightest notice of the men’s arrival.  One or two of them may have opened an eye, but that was all.  When they were roused and given to understand by unmistakable signs that their presence was desired at home, they seemed astonished